


Hell

by mercyfull



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Blow Jobs, Cunnilingus, Drug Use, Drunk Sex, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, Multi, Orgy, Threesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-06-15 20:17:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15420768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mercyfull/pseuds/mercyfull
Summary: Cardinal Copia assembles a band of ghouls to partake in his satanic missionary work. One ghoul in particular sets out to have a good time.*Abandoned work! This fic will not be continued!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this will mostly be some Ghoul on Ghoul Action™ (starting from the second chapter, I guess the first one is just exposition) and also my personal headcanons concerning the lore of Ghost. Hope you like!

It was a great honor. He knew it, and so did the rest of the ghouls who stopped in their tracks and watched him, their eyes glowing green in their jealousy, as he descended further down the depths of Hell. Here, the deeper _down_ you went, the closer you were to Him. The lowly ghouls resided the furthest away, high up at the zenith of Hell. They were the laboring hands of the underworld, wading through fire and human waste and digging stones with their fangs and claws. But today he was summoned down for a mission few were deemed worthy of. He held his nose up in pride.

Once there the ghoul was bathed, the thick twists of his hair were cut off, and he was fitted for a suit. He studied his figure in the mirror, now clad in a slim black suit, noting the pointed shoulders and the fluttering tails of his coat. While he reveled in the pampering, he knew the best part came last – a new mask, silvery and shining, skillfully crafted in the shape of a horned face. He threw his old one by his feet, a shapeless lump of copper, and slid the new one over his head. It fit beautifully, the holes aligning perfectly with his eyes and mouth.

“What will I be doing, sister?” he asked the woman who led him to his next destination. “Will I be seducing humans?” he wondered hopefully.

“In a way, you will.” Sister Imperator, a frazzled woman in dark robes, didn’t bother to look back at him when she replied. “Ghoul, I was told you can sing and play music?”

Behind his mask, his brows furrowed. Once, in his human life, he had been an entertainer. But it was like a foggy dream, far removed from him, and he could barely even recall how it had felt. Still, he wouldn’t risk being sent back Up. “I will do what is asked of me,” he said respectfully.

The Sister didn’t respond. He followed her through the corridors of a gloomy, dimly lit establishment where quick black shapes ran past them at the edge of his sight. Instinctively, he leaped at one of them with a clawed hand and caught it. The squeaking rat fought uselessly against his hold. Slowly, he began to tighten his fist.

“Leave it,” Sister Imperator huffed impatiently. It appeared that they had arrived at their destination; she knocked on a door, waited for the faint “come in” from the other side, then opened it and walked in. The ghoul released the rat and watched it scurry away before he followed the Sister.

Inside was dark, the only source of light a lantern resting on a writing desk. Behind the desk sat a man of the Clergy dressed in red regalia, the lamp casting a light on his pale, anxious face. The sight of him excited the ghoul, as did that of the Sister. He hadn’t been in the presence of humans for many years. He had to remind himself members of the Clergy were no mere mortals.

“Cardinal,” the Sister addressed the man, her voice the sweetest the ghoul has heard from her yet. “A new recruit for you.”

The Cardinal leaned forward and fixed his eyes on the ghoul, looking him up and down. His demonic nature was evident in his gaze – his left eye shone in the darkness, a pinprick black pupil at the center of a white iris.

The ghoul bowed with a flourish. “I am at your service, Cardinal,” he announced. Behind him Sister Imperator snorted, but the edges of the Cardinal’s mouth stretched into a small smile. The ghoul straightened, feeling triumphant.

“He will do,” said the Cardinal. “Thank you, Sister.”

The Sister retreated into the shadows of the room, but she did not leave. The ghoul could sense her presence behind him. The Cardinal motioned to the chair in front of him and the ghoul sat down eagerly.

“Ghoul,” started the Cardinal, his hands wringing together. He was a sniveling little man and the ghoul loved him for it already. “You are tasked with the mission of spreading the word of our Father to the masses of the earth. Under the guise of a musical act you will lure them to the light and bring them closer to His influence.”

The ghoul bowed his head at the mention of the Unholy Master. His eyes fell on the old, dry blood stains on the table.

“You will serve directly under me,” the Cardinal continued. “We will travel the lands of Men and perform to them with the purpose of teaching our creed. Thankfully, we are not starting from scratch. We already have an established following. My predecessors…” he began to stammer and his thin mustache twitched. “Th-they did a fine job…”

“But they failed to make sufficient progress,” Sister Imperator’s voice drifted from the dark. “This is where you come in, Cardinal.”

The Cardinal nodded, swallowing nervously. He looked the ghoul over again, his gaze stopping at his hands. “I see Hell has made its mark on you,” he noted.

The ghoul lifted his hands, proudly splaying his long blackened claws on the table for the Cardinal to see.

“Your hands and mouth will be visible to the crowds. This could frighten them,” the Cardinal said somberly. “It’s a problem.”

Confused, the ghoul folded his arms, hiding his claws under his armpits. Ghouls developed certain physical attributes to ensure their survival in Hell. Without them they could not work, or fight, or even fuck. The more grotesque their bodies became the more respected they were, more feared. This ghoul was hailed for his sharp fangs and deadly claws. They gave him bragging rights, never a reason to hide.

Sister Imperator appeared beside them again. She grabbed the ghoul’s left hand and pulled it back on top of the table. Knowing his place, he didn’t resist. “It is a problem,” she agreed, still holding the hand in place. “But one that can be easily taken care of.”

The Cardinal reached into a drawer in his desk and took out a leather case. When he opened it the ghoul felt his blood run cold. Inside was a set of knives, all sharpened and glinting in the light of the lamp. The Cardinal’s fingers fluttered along the array of different hilts, back and forth, until they settled on a butcher knife with a long, flat blade. He picked it up and without a word brought it down on the ghoul’s hand, chopping off the ends of two of his claws.

The ghoul shrieked, wrenching himself out of the Sister’s hold and falling to the ground. He clutched his mangled hand to his chest and writhed in pain, not unlike the rat he had caught earlier. A spark lit up in the Cardinal’s white eye. “Sit up, ghoul,” he commanded.

Slowly, the ghoul climbed back to his feet, cradling his hand. When the Sister reached for him he pulled away.

“Ghoul,” the Cardinal spoke in a low, dark tone. “If you do not wish to serve your Creator I will not force you, but you will be sent back to wallow in filth with the rest of _your_ _kin_.” He spat the last part.

Bowing his head, the ghoul sat back in the chair and returned his shaking left hand to the top of the table. He could not, will not, return to where he came from. Once he reached Down he refused to go back Up. His right hand came up to touch the silver mask adorning his face. The ghoul knew in his heart that he was meant for great, wicked things.

When the Cardinal was finished the ghoul slumped back in the chair, barely keeping himself from falling to the floor again. He looked down at his hands, blinking tears away. What was left of his claws were now bloody stumps the length of human fingers. They pulsed painfully with every beat of his heart. He tried to curl the fingers and a sharp pain shot up his arms, making him cry out and his eyes to water again.

The Cardinal wiped the knife clean on his own red robes. He returned it to the case and reached for a new tool – the whetstone he kept there to sharpen the knives. He held it up and looked at the ghoul. “Now we must take care of your teeth.”

The ghoul howled in fear and brought the stumps of his fingers to cover his mouth. “Cardinal, please!” he croaked, his throat still hoarse from his screams. He let himself fall from the chair down to his knees. “Let me do it myself! I can’t bear any more pain! I swear I’ll do it, just please, please, let me do it myself! I’m begging you, my Cardinal!”

Sister Imperator grabbed his ear through the fabric of his balaclava and pulled on it painfully to force him off the floor. “Sit down, ghoul, and open your mouth,” she threatened.

But the Cardinal seemed to have taken pity on the ghoul. He returned the whetstone to the case and waved a hand at the Sister, motioning for her to let go of the ghoul. “Fine, do it yourself,” he said. “But ghoul, it must be done before I see you again. I don’t know when that will be. It could be tomorrow.”

The ghoul nodded pitifully. He held his mutilated hands in front of his body, unsure what to do with them.

“Once these heal you will play the guitar,” told him the Cardinal, standing up. “And sing. You will sing, too. So, uh, rest your throat. Sister, could you send someone to clean this mess here?” The mess was the remains of the ghoul’s claws scattered on the table among pools of blood. The ghoul looked at them sadly.

“Of course, Cardinal,” Sister Imperator said sweetly. Her next words she directed to the ghoul and she whipped them out so violently both he and the Cardinal jumped in their spots. “Come, ghoul!”

The ghoul followed her out of the room. He looked back to see the Cardinal standing above his desk with his hands on his hips, admiring his handiwork. Despite the excruciating pain in his hands, the ghoul wished he could stay in the presence of his new master. Such was ghoul nature, to seek evil and to serve it. He could sense a great evil in the Cardinal.

“Come, ghoul,” the Sister called behind her shoulder. “Let me take you to your _brethren_.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't initially planning to do the elemental names thing but I just couldn't get it to work. I had a hard enough time writing this chapter with just two nameless ghouls, I don't know how I would have managed chapters with several of them. Just so it's clear: "the ghoul"=Multi, "the other ghoul"=Aether. You'll see.  
> Thanks for checking this story and really hope that you like!  
> *

After the Sister had ushered him through a doorway and ordered him to stay there until he is summoned again, he found himself alone. The ghoul held his mangled hands close to his chest and looked around.

It was a lounge room of sort, not very big and crammed with furniture, some of which he didn’t recognize. The walls were covered with colored paper and the air smelled of… His nostrils flared as he breathed it in, recognizing. Beer and hashish. Already a good sign.

A shuffling noise made him look toward the other end of the room, to a shadowed passageway in the wall. As he was watching something glinted in the dark. It grew more and more until finally, a mask was revealed to him in full. The figure who wore it stepped out from the shadows. While he was not dressed in the suit, the silver mask was unmistakable.

“My brother,” the other ghoul wrapped strong arms around him, mindful of his hands. He was shorter but his body was wider, and his hug enveloped him warmly.

“Brother,” the ghoul returned as he relaxed into the hug. When they disentangled the other ghoul held him by his shoulders and looked him up and down. The ghoul studied him back. He wasn’t wearing a balaclava and instead his mask was slung over his bare face. The ghoul could clearly see his dark eyes and his mouth, stretched into a grin.

“I can tell you will make a fun addition,” the other ghoul said.

The ghoul grinned back at him. “What kind of fun will we be having?”

Laughing, the other ghoul squeezed his shoulders. “I’ll show you where we sleep.”

The other ghoul led him through the passageway. It wasn’t as dark inside as it had seemed from outside. They entered a small room that held three separate beds, all pushed together and piled with pillows and blankets. Several sleeping figures were curled up together between the sheets. The ghoul’s heart expanded at the sight; the warmth that emanated from the bed called for him.

A rustle made him turn to see the other ghoul rummaging in the closet and the cabinets at the corner of the room. When he found what he was looking for he returned to his side. “Don’t sleep in your suit, mate,” he whispered to him. “When the Clergy are around you’re meant to look immaculate, but in the meantime put these on,” he offered him a bunched up ball of cloth.

The ghoul nodded and reached for the front of his coat, trying to unbutton it with stiff fingers. When the other ghoul noticed his adversity, he slung the clothes he was holding over his shoulder and put his own fingers to work, quickly unbuttoning the coat and helping him out of it. Next he unclasped his suspenders and untied his necktie, slipping it from around his neck. Then the dress shirt, the shoes, the spats, the pants… until the ghoul was left naked save for his mask.

“Wait,” the other ghoul said quietly. He collected the garments he had just helped remove and took them to the closet where he arranged them on a hanger, among what appeared to be a row of similar suits. He then returned to dress the ghoul in his new sleeping clothes – a black, short sleeved shirt, adorned with human script at the front, and loose short pants with a forgiving waist.

The ghoul looked between them, a smile rising on his face. They were dressed the same now. The other ghoul smiled back at him. “Boxers!” he whispered. “Man’s greatest fucking invention. Well, other than the Xbox.”

Despite not understanding a word of what he was being told, the ghoul felt a surge of love toward his new friend. He had an affectionate heart – not the best trait for a ghoul to have – and it wasn’t often that he experienced such gentle interactions. In the Upstairs ghouls were aggressive and territorial, constantly fighting for their survival, but here it felt different. Despite missing his claws he didn’t sense that he was in danger. In fact, he felt very safe; he wanted to wrap himself around the other ghoul and join the sleeping figures on the bed.

Leaning in, he kissed the other’s lips. Through the holes in his mask, the other ghoul’s eyes lit up.

“How about I give you a tour of the place?” he offered.

They returned to the lounge room. The other ghoul sat him down on a couch and went to stand by the large black box hanging on the wall in front of it. “That’s the TV screen,” he explained as he ran a hand along the top of it. A cloud of dust followed his movement, making him grimace and wipe his hand on his shirt. “Ugh. We’ve got Netflix but uh, the Wi-Fi here is shite. So we only use it to play games on the Xbox.”

That box again. The ghoul listened, rapt, though he had no clue what the other was saying to him.

“It’s this bit,” the other ghoul pointed at a smaller, equally unfamiliar box. “It’s fun. It’s like a toy. You’ll figure it out,” he said, already making his way over to the couch. He climbed it on his knees and the tour was cut short.

“And this here… is another trick to boxers,” he said as he reached into the previously unnoticed slit at the front of the ghoul’s shorts. Pulling his dick out, he shot him a sly grin before bowing down and closing his mouth around it. The ghoul sighed and turned to lean back against the armrest, his legs spreading further apart. The lack of fangs made the act much more pleasurable than he was used to.

Sex between ghouls was not necessarily a pleasant experience. They did not reproduce and so intercourse was more of a gesture, like a handshake, or a hug, or a slap to the face would be. It could convey many things. Sometimes it was an act of asserting dominance. Other times it was an expression of respect between friends. Occasionally it was just a means to pass the time. Never was it enjoyable for both parties. One end had to submit to the pleasure of the other.

And so, out of power of habit, the ghoul reached his claws to dig them into the skin at the exposed nape moving between his legs. Instead, his short blunt fingers closed on air, and the motion sent a pulse of pain up his arms that made him grit his teeth.

The other ghoul let the dick slide wetly from between his lips and reached behind his head to grab the hand there. “It heals good, see,” he said, carefully entwining their fingers. The ghoul looked; the other’s fingers had round tips and short nails. They looked like human fingers, not at all like the chopped off claws of a ghoul.

“How long does it take?” he asked.

The other ghoul untwined their fingers and brought the wounded hand close to his mouth. He licked the palm from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger, leaving a clean stripe in the dried up blood that still covered the ghoul’s hand. “Not long,” he promised. He lowered his head and sucked the ghoul back into his mouth.

The ghoul let out a deep moan and relaxed back into the armrest, closing his eyes and putting his hands down by his sides. The other ghoul palmed his inner thighs to keep them apart as he began to move his head up and down his dick. It felt hot and good and the ghoul arched into the mouth working him, trying to force himself deeper.

Relaxing his throat, the other ghoul let him push further into his mouth. He curled his hands on his thighs, urging his movements, and encouraged him to fuck his face.

“Ah, fuck,” the ghoul breathed. He looked to where his hips were thrusting into the other ghoul’s mouth. His toes curled when their movements started to align, the other ghoul’s head coming down to meet each of his upwards thrusts.

One of the other ghoul’s hands began to travel up his thigh and under his shorts. It stroked along the seam of his groin, massaging the tender skin there, before it settled so that the thumb was rubbing the underside of the ghoul’s balls.

The ghoul groaned, a low guttural sound. His breathing began to quicken and he could feel himself start to tense up, his body preparing for release. That sense of buildup in the pit of stomach, ready to spill out and wash over him. He hooked his leg around the other ghoul’s shoulder and pulled him close, until the other’s nose smashed against his taut lower abdomen.

A few more thrusts and he reached his climax, cursing quietly and riding the other ghoul’s face, his cum spilling in his mouth. The other ghoul held still and swallowed around him. When he came down, the ghoul let himself fall limp into the couch, spent and satisfied.

The other ghoul left him a moment to breathe and then climbed over him, his elbows planted on the armrest on each side of the ghoul’s head. They were so close the metals of their masks scraped against each other. The ghoul felt another surge of love in his heart, even stronger than before. He wanted desperately to return the favor.

“Can I suck you?” he asked, his head lifting so he could run his tongue along the other ghoul’s neck.

The other ghoul laughed. “With these fangs? I don’t know…”

“My fangs!” the ghoul remembered. He let his head fall back and ran his tongue along his teeth, mindful of the sharp ends. “I have to remove them. By the time he comes here, the Cardinal said.”

The other ghoul perked up visibly at the mention of the Cardinal, but his expression quickly changed to that of dejection. “The Cardinal hasn’t visited us in weeks,” he seemed pained by the admission, but he quickly shook it off. Lifting a hand, he touched a finger to the ghoul’s upper lip, pushing it up to reveal his fangs.

“Ghoulette can file them down for you. She has the gentlest hands. Just don’t ask Dewdrop, you might as well let the Cardinal have a go at you.”

“Dewdrop?” the ghoul asked, confused.

“Your brother,” explained the other ghoul. “One of them. You’ll meet them all once that band of bums decide to rise the fuck up.”

“Dewdrop…” the ghoul repeated again. He was struggling to understand. “Is that… a name?”

Catching on to his confusion, the other ghoul nodded. He sat back on his haunches and a small smile spread on his lips.

“But we’re nameless ghouls.”

“We are,” the other ghoul agreed. “But some of us have been named.”

The ghoul stared up at him, speechless. A named ghoul was a foreign concept to him, too irrational to wrap his mind around. He hasn’t met a ghoul with a name in the entire lifetime he’d spent in Hell, and he himself hasn’t owned a name in a long, long time.

“The Cardinal…?” he began, but the other ghoul cut him off, shaking his head.

“Don’t ever mention the names around him,” he warned. “No, it’s the followers who named us.”

The ghoul sat up slowly. The Cardinal had mentioned there were already followers to the cause. In truth, he didn’t entirely comprehend his role in this mission he was recruited for. He understood that he would perform in front of an audience, but what else did that entail? Being named, being defined, that went against his nature. Ghouls were unified by their namelessness, their lack of identity.

“Have you been to the earth yet?” he asked the other ghoul. “With the Cardinal?”

“With his predecessor,” the other replied, his voice becoming excited. “It was a bloody good time. It’s where we got the Xbox and everything.” Still on his knees on the couch, he leaned closed as if to share a secret. “It’s where they named me too. They call me Aether.”

"Aether," the ghoul repeated. Star matter. The medium between particles. The highest element that resided above all.

“Pretty sweet, right?” Aether said.

The ghoul nodded, if only to humor his new friend. But as he mulled it over in his mind, he began to realize that perhaps he didn’t entirely object to the idea of being recognized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, what are the ghoulettes individual names?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took way longer than I expected, but I think it came out alright. As always, thank you for reading, and I hope that you enjoy this chapter!

The ghoul remained on the couch after Aether climbed off of him. He sprawled on the comfortable cushions and dozed off, vaguely registering when the other ghoul returned with a warm washcloth to gently wipe the dried blood from his fingers. The pain in them has dulled, but they were still sensitive to touch. Once they were clean he thought he could see a _change_ in them. The tips of his fingers seemed rounder and their flesh was bright red, like new skin. Before he could dwell on that further he fell back into sleep.

He awoke with a snarl when hands wrapped around his head from behind and his instincts fired into action. He scratched at the face above him, still unaccustomed to having no claws. His blunt fingers scraped against the smooth surface of a silver mask, and a giggle sounded from behind it.

The ghoulette stepped away from him, holding her hands up. “Don’t attack me!” she laughed.

The ghoul sat up and turned to look at her. Her mask was similar to his, but the back was longer and shaped like waves of hair. Besides the mask, she was dressed in pink flannel from head to toe. Fully remembering where he was, he felt relief that he was not able to harm her.

“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely, standing up from the couch. After Aether had been so accommodating to him, and after he’d seen the other ghouls sleep together so sweetly, he was determined to become a proper member of this pack.

“Don’t be sorry,” another voice said and a second ghoulette stepped forward, coming into his line of vision. “She snuck up on you”.

The second ghoulette wore the same feminine mask and was wrapped in a large, plush robe. She was much shorter – while the ghoul was taller than the first ghoulette, he practically towered over the second one. She came to stand beside them and looked up at the tall ghoulette with her finger pointed accusingly. “You shouldn’t startle a ghoul that only just came Down. Remember how on edge you were when we first arrived here?”

The tall ghoulette squeaked and turned to the ghoul. She took one of his hands carefully, bringing it to her lips to kiss it. “She’s right. I’m so sorry for scaring you!” She took his other hand and kissed it as well. “But look at you, what a ghoul! I’m so happy to meet you.”

“Look at yourselves,” the ghoul said, lifting their still entwined hands to his own mouth and returning the kisses. His eyes moved between the two ghoulettes and he gave them his most charming smile. “I have never felt this welcome anywhere in Hell.”

“It’s different here,” the tall ghoulette said, squeezing his hands before letting go of them. “There’s nothing to fight over. We share everything, we’re a family!”

“Just because there is nothing to fight over, doesn’t mean there are no fights,” the short ghoulette corrected her. The two of them exchanged a pointed look and laughed. “But we all get along,” she assured the ghoul.

The ghoul noted the difference in their laughs, one lilting and airy, the other more reserved, warm and rich. How lucky was he to become a part of the Cardinal’s service? He felt so at ease here. Every single ghoul he had met so far had been so kind and beautiful.

“Are the others here?” he asked hopefully.

The tall ghoulette shook her head. “Everybody left to practice.”

The ghoul wondered if they had all passed by him on their way out, while he was deep asleep. The thought of the missed opportunity saddened him.

The ghoulettes exchanged another look between them. “We stayed behind because, uh, the ghoul who greeted you first… he said you needed your fangs taken care of?” asked the short one.

The ghoul nodded and opened his mouth, exposing his teeth. The ghoulettes peeked at them, the short one rising on her tiptoes.

“Ghoulette can do it for you!” exclaimed the tall one. She draped her arms around the short ghoulette’s shoulders, hugging her affectionately. “She has the softest touch!”

A shy smile spread across the short ghoulette’s lips and she hugged her back. “Bring me my filer?” she asked. The tall ghoulette skipped away to rummage through a cabinet, and the short one placed a warm palm on the ghoul’s back and led him to the sleeping chamber.

The beds appeared to be empty now, the pillows and blankets piled on them haphazardly. The tall ghoulette followed them inside, placed something in the short one’s hand, then jumped onto a lump in a blanket, knees first. “Wake up!” she yelled as she thrashed around where she landed. Then she began to pat the blanket more gently, straightening the folds in it. “Oh, I thought it was Dewdrop,” she told them. “He’s so small, sometimes I can’t find him here.”

The ghoulette by his side froze, her hand falling from his back. A moment later the taller one caught on, too, and looked at him sheepishly.

“I know of the names,” the ghoul admitted. He turned to the short ghoulette standing next to him. “The ghoul… Aether. He told me.” It felt unnatural to speak out a name in reference to a ghoul.

“What do you think about it?” asked the short ghoulette.

The ghoul shook his head. He was still undecided on how he felt.

“It’s a strange idea,” she agreed.

From where she was sitting on the bed, the tall ghoulette called, “I like it! I hope I get named, too.”

The ghoul looked between them. “The followers didn’t name you?”

The short ghoulette smiled and returned her hand to his back to pat it. “We haven’t been to the earth yet. We were brought here not that long ago.”

“But now you’re the newest one!” said the tall ghoulette.

It was meant as a taunt, but the ghoul didn’t mind. It was comforting to him to be among other nameless ghouls. More familiar.

The short ghoulette walked to the bed and climbed it to sit with her back against the wall. She patted her lap. “Put your head here,” she told him.

The ghoul laid down, his head cushioned on the ghoulette’s thick thighs. “Open your mouth,” she said. The ghoul complied. She pushed his lip up with a finger and began to carefully file away at his fangs.

Squeezing his eyes shut, the ghoul held back a groan. He wasn’t in pain – the ghoulette was being very gentle with him, her filing hand moving in tiny strokes – but he could feel it reverberating in his skull. It was grating, like nails on a chalkboard, and the harsh sound was trapped inside his head. Unpleasant goosebumps began to rise on his skin. Without realizing that he had done it, he reached up and held onto the ghoulette’s hand, as if begging for a pause. When she stopped a hard shiver ran through his body, from his scalp to his toes.

“It’s uncomfortable, I know,” she whispered, her hand moving to caress his chest.

Bracing himself, the ghoul took a breath and opened his mouth again. Just then he felt an unexpected touch somewhere else – a light pressure on his groin. Looking down his body, he saw the tall ghoulette sitting by his legs. She wiggled her fingers at him and then wrapped them around his dick, beginning to stroke him through the fabric of his shorts.

Sighing and leaning back, he locked his gaze with the short ghoulette staring upside at him. She looked at him questioningly. “You can continue now, I suppose,” he said to her.

He squeezed his eyes shut again, trying to focus on the feeling of the tall ghoulette’s hands stripping him of his shorts. Once they were off, she sat on his legs and began to pump his dick with her hand, then replaced it with her mouth. It didn’t distract him entirely from the rattling in his brain, but it did make the experience more bearable. He concentrated on the heat of her mouth, going up and down his cock. Every few strokes she’d pull back and tongue at the head, then kiss it and suck him back into her mouth. Her hands moved on his thighs in soothing circles.

Having no fangs truly had its merits. These stingless blowjobs weren’t difficult to get used to.

With the tall ghoulette providing some mean of diversion, the shorter one allowed her filing motions to quicken. The ghoul couldn’t hold back the pained groan that came out of him, and even his dick softened in the ghoulette’s mouth. He nearly asked to stop again but fought against himself, wanting more than anything to be over with it. A few more agonizing minutes passed and finally, the short ghoulette removed her hands from his mouth.

“I’m done,” she announced, sounding relieved herself. “Come look at those lovely human teeth,” she told the tall ghoulette.

The tall ghoulette let his half-hard cock fall from her mouth with a sigh. “Finally!” she said, stretching her jaw uncomfortably. She leaned over him and looked in his mouth. “So nice! Good job, ghoulette!”

The ghoul ran his tongue over his teeth. Cautiously, he touched it to the tip of a once-been fang and was met with nothing but air. His teeth had been filed down to a straight, even line. He gnashed them together and the way they met felt weird and unfamiliar to him.

The short ghoulette slid from underneath his head. He made a move to sit up, but the taller one pushed him back with a hand on his chest. “I’m not finished with you,” she said, grinning. He laid back obediently, watching as she stripped her clothes and threw them behind her. Heat rushed to the ghoul’s groin at the sight of her round breasts and the dark patch of hair between her legs, and he quickly grew hard again.

Once she was fully naked, the tall ghoulette straddled him. She took his dick in her hand and rubbed it against herself. Still slick with her spit, it easily slid into the warm heat between her lips. The ghoul hummed in satisfaction and pushed his hips up, urging her to let him penetrate her.

“Cool it,” she teased, her hand pushing against his abdomen until he laid back again. She used her hand on him to steady herself as she finally began to sit down, holding his dick to press it inside of her.

The ghoul let out a long, low moan as he watched the head of his dick enter her vagina. A few more rolls of her hips and he was fully in her. He looked up to her face and she gave him a smirk and began to bounce on his dick.

In his pleasure, the ghoul stretched a hand out and it touched the leg of the short ghoulette who was kneeling beside them on the bed. He turned his head to look at her and his fingers pulled clumsily at the knot holding her robe closed. Helpfully, she opened it, removing it from her shoulders. Underneath the robe she was wearing a short, light nightdress that stretched over her wide thighs and chest. The ghoul slid his hand between her legs but then pulled it back, frustrated. His fingers were still too stunted to be of use. Instead, he tangled his hand in the fabric of her dress. “Join?” he mouthed to her.

The short ghoulette did not shy from accepting the invitation. Hiking her dress up, she threw a leg over him and straddled his head. Behind her, the tall ghoulette whooped. As she moved above him to settle into position, he got an eyeful of her labia, fleshy lips covered with thin, pale hair. He stuck his tongue out and licked between the lips from one end to the other. Her appreciative moan sent a spark down his groin and his hips bucked up, pulling a high pitched sound out of the tall ghoulette.

The ghoul took care not to neglect either front. He planted his feet on the bed so he could thrust up into the tall ghoulette, and she matched his movements, both of them falling into a fast rhythm. His hands rested on the short ghoulette’s hips as he lapped and sucked between her lips. He was being careful at first, but soon realized he no longer needed to fear stinging her with fangs. He pointed his tongue and slid it into her, pushing as deep as it would go, and she shuddered and began to ride his face.

From his position, all he could see were the short ghoulette’s heavy breasts squeezed together inside the low neckline of her nightdress, and the bottom of her face as her head was thrown back. The ghoul thrust up hard, and the tall ghoulette gasped and fell forward, catching herself on the shorter one’s shoulders, laughing. The ghoul was treated to the sight of the tall ghoulette’s hands snaking around the other ghoulette’s waist to stroke and caress her body, before focusing on her chest. She cupped her breasts through the thin fabric and her thumbs found the nipples to rub them. The ghoul growled at the sight, the sound muffled between the short ghoulette’s thighs.

The short ghoulette leaned forward slightly, and her pubic mound bumped against the nose of his mask. She whimpered and bumped against it again, and again, until she was grinding on it. The ghoul kept his head still and pushed his tongue in her, undulating it. She let out another whimper and he felt her contract around his tongue. Encouraged, he kept his tongue moving inside her, until she came in a series of soft cries. She let herself roll off of him and laid on her side, panting.

The ghoul became aware of how wet his face was. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, but all around it his balaclava was soaked through with her juices and his own spit. The tall ghoulette, who kept riding his dick the whole time, grabbed his shoulders and stretched over him, leaning down to nip at his lips and chin, unbothered by the damp fabric.

Running his knuckles up and down her sides, the ghoul wondered how close she was to cumming. His balls felt so tight – without the short ghoulette occupying him by sitting on his face, he knew he could not hold back any longer.

Thankfully, that was when the short ghoulette had recovered enough to join them again. She sat up and pressed her masked face in the crook of the tall ghoulette’s neck. Her hand slipped in the middle of them to rub between the tall ghoulette’s legs, just above where her lips were stretched around his dick. The tall ghoulette threw her head back and moaned loudly. Her movements stuttered and then slowed, her hips rolling in small circles as she rode out her orgasm. The way her vagina squeezed and tightened around him immediately sent the ghoul over the edge.

He growled low in his throat, his hands clenching and unclenching carefully by his sides. The feeling of release rushed through his body, hot and intense, and he came inside the ghoulette in several thrusts, cursing quietly. When he relaxed back into the bed, the tall ghoulette laughed breathily and slid off of him, letting herself fall to her back.

The three of them laid together, the ghoul in the middle, comfortable and satisfied. The tall ghoulette was the first to get up.

“I should wash,” she said. She ran a hand between her thighs and her mouth twisted in a grimace.

The ghoul watched her shuffle through a door from where he was spread on the bed. The short ghoulette rolled to her side to face him and patted his chest.

“What instruments do you play?” she asked him.

“Guitar,” the ghoul answered. “And the Cardinal asked that I sing as well.”

“We play keyboard, and we sing, too!” the ghoulette said, motioning with her chin toward the door the tall ghoulette disappeared through. “It will be lovely to harmonize with the Cardinal, don’t you think?” she asked, her voice trailing off dreamily.

The ghoul nodded. Was the Cardinal going to share the stage with them? He didn’t expect to hear that. It certainly was a lovely thought.

“What is keyboard? Is it like an organ?” he wondered.

“I guess?” the ghoulette shrugged. She looked him over curiously. “How long has it been since you’ve _last_ been to the earth?”

The ghoul knew what she was truly asking. How long has it been since he walked the earth as a _human_?

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “It must have been a while.”

The ghoulette touched his chest again. “You’ll catch up on everything,” she said reassuringly. “I missed out on some things as well. That box game Aether likes? I still have no idea how to work that thing.”

A noise coming from the lounge room made them both look up.

“Did you hear that?” asked the short ghoulette. “I think the others are back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like the idea of the ghouls hanging around in casual/house clothes during downtime, in case you couldn’t tell :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry :\

While the ghoul was anxious to go out and greet the others, he wanted to appear presentable before them. The short ghoulette helped him back into his boxer shorts and led him to the bathing room. He was impressed to find that all it took was a twist of a knob to have water flowing into the basin in front of him. It was much more efficient than what he remembered bathing being.

The short ghoulette allowed him the privacy to remove his mask and wash his face. She disappeared behind a tiled wall, toward where the tall ghoulette’s voice could be heard, singing loudly over the sound of running water.

The ghoul splashed water on his face and looked up. His reflection in the mirror caught him by surprise. He averted his gaze and reached for the towel the ghoulette had left him, quickly patting himself dry before slinging his mask back over his head. The metal of it felt cool against his bare skin. He left his damp balaclava in the basin and walked back to the lounge room, sweet anticipation running through his veins.

He was met by the sight of four ghouls, all dressed in identical suits, talking among themselves. Aether was easily recognizable – he was the huskiest of the group, his jacket stretched over his broad chest and arms. When he saw the ghoul he turned to him and opened his arms in a welcoming gesture. “There he is!”

Two other ghouls waved at him excitedly, their faces beaming. The fourth one, a very small, slender ghoul, broke from the group and walked toward him. The ghoul thought he was being approached to be greeted, but instead the small ghoul simply nodded and slipped past him, disappearing into the sleeping chamber.

“That little fucker,” Aether huffed. He beckoned for the ghoul to come closer. “You alright, mate? How are your hands?”

The ghoul held them up, clenching his fists experimentally. “Much better, I think.”

“And your fangs?”

The ghoul grinned, showing off his teeth. Aether looked in his mouth and whistled, impressed. One of the ghouls standing with them nodded appreciatively.

“I wish ghoulette was around when I had mine shaved off,” he said. “Some Clergy man did me. Came out looking fine but it was a real torture. I bet your experience was nicer.”

“It wasn’t too bad,” the ghoul admitted.

“I’m called Ifrit,” the other introduced himself, offering a hand. When the ghoul tried to shake it, the other laughed and pulled him in for a hug. He was shorter, with strong arms and firm, wide shoulders. The ghoul squeezed him back, and then the name registered in his mind.

“Ifrit?” the ghoul pulled back to look at him, doubt in his eyes.

The ghoul named Ifrit laughed again. “Not an actual… _Ifrit_ , you know? I’m a nameless ghoul, same as you. You don’t see me breathing fire, do you?” he grinned at the ghoul, revealing even rows of bright, white teeth. The Clergy man did indeed do a good job on him.

“I’m called Earth,” said the third ghoul. He was the tallest of them, taller even than the ghoul himself, and thin as a rail. Earth held his fist up, and the ghoul stared at it in confusion. Aether came to his rescue, taking his hand and bumping the knuckles against Earth’s fist.

Earth laughed and touched the ghoul’s shoulder apologetically. “I’m sorry. I sweat a lot during practice. Can we talk after I shower?”

“Of course,” the ghoul said. Earth left for the sleeping chamber, and Aether turned to follow him.

“I’ll got get that tiny wanker,” he told Ifrit and the ghoul.

The two remained alone. Ifrit dropped into a loveseat chair and yanked the ghoul down to sit next to him. The sudden motion made the ghoul light-headed, and he became aware of how long it had been since his last meal. He thought back to the rat he had caught outside the Cardinal’s office, and now he wished that he’d had fed on it. His eyes fell to his blunt, human nails. How would he ever hunt again without his fangs and claws? His stomach growled, twisting painfully.

Ifrit heard it. “You must be hungry,” he said in concern.

The ghoul nodded, “I’m starving.”

Ifrit patted the front of his suit jacket carefully, then reached a hand inside it. “You slept through breakfast,” he said. “Aether tried to sneak you something, but he got caught. We’re not allowed to bring food outside the dining hall.” He pulled out something wrapped in a napkin from an inner pocket. “So I took my chance while Aether was being scolded.”

Peeling the napkin away, Ifrit revealed a slice of cake, crushed and crumbling. “I had it on me during practice,” he apologized.

The ghoul barely heard him. The sight of food made his stomach growl violently. He snatched the cake from Ifrit and shoved it in his mouth, his tongue coming out to collect every last crumb from the napkin. Chewing with his new teeth felt strange, and the sweetness of the cake was so overwhelming it almost made him nauseous, but none of it could stop him from wolfing it down. He couldn’t even recall the last time he tasted anything but raw meat.

When he was finished, he looked at Ifrit with grateful eyes. “Thank you.”

Ifrit leaned in close to lick away a crumb from the edge of the ghoul’s mouth. “You’re welcome,” he said as he pulled back, winking at him.

A lewd smile stretched on the ghoul’s lips and he tongued at where Ifrit’s mouth had just touched his.

Just then Aether reappeared in the room. He was carrying the small ghoul in the air, arms around his torso. The small ghoul was snarling and kicking his legs viciously, his fists hammering at the forearms wrapped around him.

Aether dropped him on the floor in front of the loveseat. The small ghoul jumped to his feet and began to angrily dust himself off.

“He's small, but he’s nasty,” said Aether, rubbing his sore arm.

“Come on, Dewdrop,” Ifrit cooed at the small ghoul standing above him. “Don’t be rude to your brother, introduce yourself.”

Dewdrop straightened his back, hands balled into fists by his sides. His eyes fixed on Ifrit. “He heard what you call me,” he said coolly.

“Oh, you menace,” Aether sighed. “Why are you acting like this, anyway?”

Dewdrop’s head snapped to look back at the larger ghoul. The tension in his jaw was apparent even through his mask. “There are seven of us now, you idiot!” he spat. “We used to be five! What do they need seven ghouls for? You don’t care that they’re going to get rid of us?!”

“No one will get rid of you, Dew,” said Ifrit with an eye-roll. “You’re too valuable.”

Narrowing his eyes, Dewdrop was clearly displeased by the flippant tone Ifrit had taken. “They replaced Papa,” he said, voice low. “You think any nameless ghoul is safe?”

The ghoul watched the exchange from where he was sat. It raised many questions in him – who was Papa, and what had happened to him? Was the Cardinal planning to remove any of the ghouls? And if they were to be removed, where would they be taken to? The ghoul thought of returning Upstairs, naked and declawed, and the idea horrified him. He looked at the small ghoul, back rigid and knuckles white. Dewdrop was perhaps justified in his concerns, but the ghoul still didn’t appreciate his behavior, and how he was imposing on his time with the other ghouls.

Ifrit started to say something, but Dewdrop turned away from him. He must have grown tired of arguing, because he finally looked at the ghoul, for the first time since he’d returned from practice. He had bright blue eyes that burned through the holes of his mask. The ghoul held his gaze.

“I’m glad to meet you, brother,” said Dewdrop through tight lips then stepped back from them. Aether tried to grab him, but he dodged his arm and made his way back to the sleeping chamber. The ghoul watched his retreating back with a raised eyebrow.

“Leave him,” Ifrit told Aether. “He needs to blow off some steam.”

They heard a shout from the adjacent room, and then both of the ghoulettes walked out.

“What’s gotten into Dewdrop?” the tall ghoulette asked. “I tried to hug him and he kicked me!”

Aether huffed and shook his head. He grabbed the arm of a couch and dragged it in front of the loveseat to face Ifrit and the ghoul, then plopped in the middle of it. The ghoulettes joined him, sitting on each of his sides. That was also when Earth returned, carrying a bag in one hand and a vase swishing with water in the other. He sat on the floor in the space between the seats, his long bare feet stretched before him.

“Good ghoul,” praised Ifrit as they all watched Earth open the bag and begin to assemble a hookah. The ghoul in particular was thrilled by the rare treat.

Earth finished putting the instrument together with practiced ease. Opening a small tin can, he carefully shook it over his palm to catch the balled up hashish, which he then placed in the bowl and covered with a charcoal screen. He took a piece of coal between tongs and held it up to Ifrit, who leaned forward and procured something from his pocket. It made a clicking sound and a small flame appeared in his fist. The ghoul watched with interest as Ifrit held the flame under the coal, lighting it up. Ifrit claimed to not breathe fire, but he appeared to have found a way to summon it when needed.

Finally, the setup was complete, and Earth put the hose to his mouth and inhaled. The coals glowed orange, and a heady scent filled the room as the hashish began to burn. Exhaling a thick cloud of white smoke, Earth hummed in satisfaction.

“Give here,” said Ifrit, impatient. He took the hose out of Earth’s unresisting hold, but instead of smoking it himself, he offered it to the ghoul. “Do you know how to use it?”

“Yes,” the ghoul answered, his eyes bright. He accepted the hose and closed his lips around it, taking a breath and holding it in his throat. Parting his lips, he blew a series of smoke rings into the air, finishing by shooting the last, smallest ring through the rest of them. The entire group laughed and clapped for his stunt, and the ghoul smirked to himself, reveling in their attention. The next inhale he took deeper, filling his lungs with smoke.

The six ghouls sat together, passing the hookah between them until the room was foggy with smoke. They were pleasant company, and the ghoul listened to their easy banter, eagerly drinking in their words so he could learn more about them. He found out that Aether and Ifrit were long time friends – or _allies_ , as would be a more appropriate way to describe friendships Upstairs – and were brought Down together. He learned that Earth preferred to go shoeless, and was looking forward to return to the realm of man and feel grass under his feet again. He learned that the tall ghoulette couldn’t wait to stand before the followers’ and hear their cheers, while the short ghoulette was nervous by the idea.

The ghoul told them that he was tasked with singing and playing guitar, and Ifrit threw a hand around his shoulders and promised to teach him all the tunes.

Ifrit swore that Dewdrop was sweet to those who knew him, but the ghoul wasn’t convinced by that. The mention of the small ghoul, however, reminded him of the questions their encounter had raised in him. He waited for a lull in the conversation to bring them up.

“Who is Papa?” the ghoul asked the room.

Aether had just finished blowing a thick trail of smoke over their heads. “Papa Emeritus III, the former leader of the church,” he answered, remnants of smoke curling from the nostrils of his mask. “He was directly involved with the band, we served under him, before the Clergy decided to, uh… remove him from his position.”

Ifrit snapped his fingers. “Plucked him off the stage, just like that. It was brutal. Last time we ever saw him.”

“And then the Clergy put the Cardinal in charge of us, and that’s how we’ve been ever since,” Aether finished.

The short ghoulette propped her head on Aether’s shoulder. “But it’s for the best, right?” she asked. “The Cardinal has to be the better master. He’s so… _unholy_.”

“Oh, he’s absolutely sinister,” Aether agreed. He reclined into the couch and threw his hands around the two ghoulettes to hug them to him. “But the Emeritus line is the stuff of nightmares. Papa was a fiend. Dewdrop was well attached to him.”

“It doesn’t matter what we think, anyway,” said Earth. He was still stretched on the floor, head against the side of the couch. “We all obey the Clergy’s rule. Even Papa.”

The ghoul’s attention was pulled by Ifrit’s hand closing around his. The other ghoul leaned into his ear and whispered, “Let’s go check on Dewdrop.”

The ghoul did not particularly care how the mean little ghoul was faring, but he let Ifrit pull him to his feet and lead him to the sleeping chamber. It appeared to be empty – the ghoul went to check the bathing room, but Ifrit stopped him. Instead, Ifrit walked to the beds and sat on the edge, next to a lumped up blanket.

The ghoul startled when the blanket moved. The ghoulette was right when she said Dewdrop was easy to lose sight of.

“Dew,” Ifrit whispered. “Can we talk?”

The lump didn’t answer, only moved, as if the body underneath it turned to face away from Ifrit.

“Come on, Honeydew,” said Ifrit, still whispering. Dewdrop sat up abruptly, the blanket caught on the horns of his mask.

“Don’t ever call me that again,” he threatened.

Ifrit sniggered and began to toe off his shoes. “I’m sorry,” he said as he got under the blanket with Dewdrop. He threw a meaningful look in the ghoul’s direction, but the ghoul remained at the edge of the bed, unsure if he wanted to join them.

The small ghoul turned to his side, away from Ifrit, who nevertheless curled around him, snuggling him from behind.

“Did you know that our brother here sings?” asked Ifrit, his voice slightly muffled by the back of Dewdrop’s head. “Like the ghoulettes. They weren’t brought here to replace us. They’re joining us.”

Dewdrop remained silent. Ifrit hugged him closer to his chest. “And besides, if there’s anyone we should worry about it’s you,” he teased. “You’re the one who knows how to play all the guitar and bass lines.”

Dewdrop made a sound in his throat that to the ghoul sounded dismissive, but then he repeated it, again and again, and the ghoul realized that the blanket was moving in a steady rhythm over Dewdrop’s crotch.

That was enough to convince the ghoul to climb into the bed. He slid under the blanket to face them, while keeping a distance between himself and Dewdrop. From his new viewpoint he could clearly see that Ifrit’s hand had found its way down the front of Dewdrop’s pants and was moving inside it. Dewdrop’s thigh lifted to allow him more room to move, and Ifrit used the opportunity to slide his own thigh in the space between Dewdrop’s legs.

Dewdrop ignored the ghoul completely. His eyes were closed, focused on his pleasure. He was rolling his hips, grinding on Ifrit’s thigh while the other ghoul was stroking him in his pants. One of his hands was holding onto Ifrit’s wrist, as if to control his movements. Ifrit, on the other hand, kept throwing glances at the ghoul over Dewdrop’s head, lips curled into a dirty smile. “I told you he’s sweet,” he mouthed. Dewdrop made an angry sound and stabbed his elbow behind him into Ifrit’s ribs.

Ifrit wheezed, then laughed through his pain. He nosed at Dewdrop’s throat, his lips finding the gap between the collar of his shirt and his balaclava. He began to suck and lick at the exposed skin and an excited groan rumbled low in his throat. Dewdrop shivered, pressing himself back into Ifrit’s body, his thighs squeezing the leg between them.

While the ghoul was still put off by Dewdrop’s behavior toward him, he couldn’t help but enjoy the sight in front of him. He supported his head on his fist, his other hand tracing mindless patterns on the sheet. Ifrit’s hungry growls mixed with Dewdrop’s hitching breath were stirring life into his cock.

Pulling back, Ifrit took Dewdrop’s jaw in his free hand and turned his face to the side to press their lips together. They kissed wet and heavy, Ifrit’s hand still moving between Dewdrop’s thighs, Dewdrop’s neck twisted back into the kiss in a way that the ghoul thought looked uncomfortable. His hand left the sheet and trailed to his tightening groin.

As they were kissing, Ifrit’s fingers left Dewdrop’s jaw and snaked around his neck. Dewdrop broke the kiss and shoved at him, his hand landing on Ifrit’s mask in a smack. “Not in the mood for games,” he muttered irritably. Ifrit growled at him and crashed their mouths back together, kissing him hard, their masks scraping against each other. The hand he had in Dewdrop’s pants picked up its rhythm and began to move more furiously.

Dewdrop’s hips were rolling, frantically riding ifrit’s thigh. He had been mostly quiet until that point, but now he was moaning freely into Ifrit’s mouth. His nails were leaving red trails where they were digging into the back of the hand jerking him off.

Dewdrop’s body trembled when he came, his sounds swallowed by Ifrit’s mouth. Ifrit kept stroking him through his orgasm, until Dewdrop pulled back from the kiss, panting. The ghoul thought he saw a sliver of blue leer at him through the holes in Dewdrop’s mask, but when he looked again, his eyes were closed. Dewdrop relaxed into the bed, his back flush against Ifrit’s chest, who took his hand out from his pants.

Somehow the space between them had narrowed. Dewdrop made an annoyed sound when Ifrit reached his wet hand over the small ghoul’s body, crushing him in the process. His fingers brushed over the bulge in the ghoul’s shorts. The ghoul hummed in expectation.

“The Cardinal is here! He wants to see us!” the tall ghoulette burst into the room, yelling excitedly as she ran toward the closet. Earth and the short ghoulette quickly followed.

The ghouls disentangled from between the sheets, Dewdrop jumping to his feet on the bed and rushing to the lounge room, fixing his clothes on the way. The ghoul made to get up, but Ifrit caught him by his shirt and pulled him back to plant a kiss on his lips.

“After,” he said against his mouth. The ghoul hummed in agreement. Then Ifrit drew back, slid into his shoes and disappeared after Dewdrop.

The remaining ghouls spread across the room, getting themselves dressed. The ghoul stood confused for a moment, trying to tell apart his own suit among the row of identical ones. There were more jackets hanging in the closets than there were ghouls, probably spares, but there was only one set left that had suspenders hanging from it, so he assumed it was his. He got into his outfit fine, his fingers only slightly catching on his tie, but the buttons on the jacket still proved to be a difficulty. The short ghoulette, already fully dressed, noticed his peril and came to his help.

“We haven’t seen the Cardinal in weeks,” she said, buzzing with excitement. Her fingers pushed the buttons into their holes with a speed that came with practice. When she was done she reached into an open drawer full of balaclavas and fished one out for him. “Quick, put this on. We have to hurry!”

Once the ghoul was in full costume he returned to the lounge room and was greeted by a chaotic scene. Aether and Ifrit were dragging furniture to clear the space, while Dewdrop was running around, easily jumping over the heavier pieces the larger ghouls were carrying between them, to collect bits and pieces that were strewn across the floor.

When the room was deemed presentable enough, they settled in two rows on either side of the door. Dewdrop cracked it open and peered outside, like a watcher.

The ghoul looked around himself. The excitement emanating from the other ghouls was almost palpable. The tall ghoulette was bouncing in her spot, barely holding back giggles. Aether kept glancing around the room, making sure everything was in order. While the ghoul himself had only recently been in the presence of the Cardinal, the mood in the room was influencing him and he was keen to see his master again.

Dewdrop pushed the door wide open, and the sound of footsteps was heard from outside. The ghouls straightened up, their hands behind their backs. He was here.

The Cardinal walked inside, red robes fluttering behind him, steps echoing in the absolute silence that prevailed in the room. His wide-eyed stare passed over the ghouls as he walked between them. He wasn’t alone – two very tall, robed figures followed him in. The ghoul noted their hoods obscuring their faces and the symbols marking their dark robes, and concluded they had to be ghouls. Very old ones, the kind that was far too physically deformed to ever be able to pass for humans again.

The Cardinal moved past the rows of ghouls, further into the room, and stopped with his back to them, his head moving curiously from side to side.

“Huh, smells like weed in here,” the ghoul heard him murmur.

The two tall figures came to stand next to him, flanking his sides like dark guard towers. The Cardinal turned to face the ghouls and cleared his throat. “Well, my dear ghouls,” he said. “Our time to travel to the face of the earth is fast approaching. Soon we will be infesting Men’s halls and venues, taking their stages to sing praises of our Dark Lord. There is no greater form of servitude than to bring new followers to His light, so… I hope you realize how privileged you all are.”

Stepping up to Aether, the Cardinal clasped his shoulder and squeezed it appreciatively. Aether looked at him silently, his body still. “I’ve been following your practices closely, hidden from sight. I’m quite pleased by what I witnessed,” the Cardinal patted Aether’s arm before moving away from. His eyes, mismatched and unsettling, fixed on the ghoul, who felt a cold drop in the pit of his stomach. “I hope that you continue to treat your newer members well, and help get them on top of things,” the Cardinal told the group. “Speaking of…”

The Cardinal returned to stand between his towering escorts. He looked down and wringed his hands together, seemingly considering his next words.

“As some of you may have noticed,” he continued at last, peering at them from under his brows, “the mission is constantly evolving. As the times and the circumstances change, so must we. The Clergy works diligently to adapt its vision to the zeitgeist. The mission took many different forms over the centuries, but even in the current transformation that is Ghost, changes must be made, every once in a while.”

While he was talking, the Cardinal paced between them, meeting each of the ghouls’ gazes with his own. “The Clergy believes the show must become grander, more _grandiose_. It’s an ongoing process, but for now… while before there were only five of you, now you are seven.”

He stopped before Ifrit and reached his hand to touch his shoulder. “Obviously, as the director of the mission, I have a say in which seven ghouls serve under me.”

Ifrit held his gaze bravely.

“Change is a good thing, I believe.”

The Cardinal stepped back as the tall figures moved forward. Ifrit stood stunned in his spot, and that was the last the ghouls would ever see of him. One moment he was there, and the next he disappeared in a flurry of dark robes and shrill shrieks. The old ghouls dropped to the floor, feasting on his remains.

Their two neat rows broke as the ghouls recoiled from the sight. The tall ghoulette screamed and turned away. Aether’s head slumped to his chest, his shoulders curving. Earth, who had been standing next to the ghoul, grabbed his arm in terror, his nails digging into his bicep. The ghoul barely registered the pain. His eyes were glued to the tall figures hunched over their meal. He could not look away. It had been so sudden – did it even happen at all?

The Cardinal himself drew back, holding a handkerchief to his mouth. “Oh, infernal majesty…” he murmured, looking away from the gruesome scene.

When the tall figures stood again, their robes gathered around them to reveal a perfectly clean floor. There was not a single trace left of the ghoul named Ifrit.

The Cardinal used his handkerchief to dab at his damp forehead. “Phew, well,” he hiccupped, swallowing back bile. “I’m glad this part is over.” His gaze fell on the ghoulettes who stood cradling each other, the tall one sobbing loudly.

“Of course, you must mourn,” the Cardinal said graciously. “It’s only natural. But please take comfort in knowing that I had already sorted everything out.” He looked around the room, his eyes searching between the ghouls. “Now where’s the small… uh, you!” he pointed at Dewdrop who was stood by the door, still as a tomb. “You will take over this one’s duties. So lead guitar, right? That leaves us with the bass.” His eyes moved to the door, “ghoul, will you step inside already?”

A lanky ghoul trudged into the room, already equipped with a silver mask and a suit. His shoulders were slumped and his head bowed, and he appeared to be walking with difficulty. The stench of blood was strong on him – the ghoul noticed that a trail of blood followed his steps, dripping from his coattails.

“Brand new,” said the Cardinal proudly. “Treat him well. Now, I believe it’s time for dinner? Hurry up, ghouls, I’d hate for you to miss it because of me.”


End file.
